Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
School system keeps pace
with student enrollment
By Billy Powell
Contributing Writer
The current Houston
County Board of Education
and its Superintendent,
Danny Carpenter have met
the challenge of unprece
dented growth in the county
through building new schools
and adding classrooms.
To keep pace with stu
dent enrollment that has
increased by 615 students
per year since 2002, four
new schools have been built:
David Perdue Primary,
Lake Joy Elementary,
Thomson Middle School and
Huntington Middle School.
In addition, 23 of 34 cam
puses have been improved
and an amazing 460 new
classrooms added. Ten cam
puses have undergone sig
nificant renovations. This
includes five elementary
schools (Lindsey, Bonaire,
Morningside, Perry Primary
and Kings Chapel), two
middle schools (Warner
Robins and Northside), and
three high schools (Perry,
Northside and Warner
Robins).
Three new schools will
open next school year in
August 2007: an elementary
school on Lake Joy Road, an
elementary school off Moody
Road and middle school off
Sandefur Road. Two addi
tional schools are projected
to open in 2010-2011: a mid
dle school and a high school,
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Submitted Billy Powell
Pictured, front row from left, are Houston County Board of Education members: Jim
Boswell, vice chairperson, Pamela Greenway, chairperson and Danny Carpenter, super
intendent. Back row, from left: Tom Walmer, Fred Wilson, Dr. Charles “Toby” Hill and
Skip Dawkins. Not pictured: Griff Clements.
LETTER
From page 4A
Mac is now officially endorsed
by the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce. So, who is the
true friend of business?
I travel a lot, and in fact I
am writing this from China.
I can no longer carry an
overnight bag on a plane
with simple things like
toothpaste. I now have to
wait in line at the baggage
claim which adds hours to
my trips.
What does this have to do
with anything you ask? We
are dealing with terrorists
who won’t stop until they
have converted the good old
US of A to Islam.
That is not going to hap
pen, which means we are in
a war with people who think
nothing of killing innocents
to try to get their way. I
want someone representing
me who feels the same way
and not somebody who votes
to allow illegal immigrants
to come to America and
then wants to offer them
free health care and social
security.
As I travel abroad I realize
that if I don’t speak the local
language ... I’m out of luck.
If I find a menu printed in
English, it is a privilege ...
not a requirement. I don’t
want my ballots printed
in other languages. If you
live here...learn to speak
the language. I’m for legal
immigration; illegal, no. And
finally, on issues of domestic
threats, I simply can not
fathom a world where peo
ple like Nancy Pelosi and
both to be located at Old
Perry Road and Piney Grove
Road.
These five new schools
are funded by the Special
Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax approved by voters in
September 2005.
The listing of accom
plishments, initiatives and
awards both county-wide and
by individual schools pro
vided by Beth McLaughlin,
director of Community and
School Affairs, via a query
are too voluminous to men
tion; however, of signifi
cant note is the fact that
the Houston County School
System is fully accredited
by the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools
and was distinguished by
being named a “2005-2006
Super System for Quality
Schools.”
Test scores in reading,
English/language and math
ematics competency test
ing have consistently met
or exceeded standards.
Moreover, SAT scores
exceeded the state average
by 24 points this year plus
Houston County students
in the top ten percent out
scored the national average
of their peers by 28 points.
Contributing to this suc
cess was the fact that a
whopping 99.3 percent of
its teachers were identified
as “Highly Qualified” based
on degree, state certification
and subject matter compe-
Charlie Rangle are making
decisions on what is best
for protecting me and my
family.
To keep from rambling,
I want to make two more
points. The Macon Telegraph
ran an article quoting the
non-partisan Knowledgis
LLC, which ranks mem
bers of Congress on effec
tiveness. Jim Marshall is
ranked number 407 and
Cynthia McKinney is num
ber 408. I bring this up
because Jim is taking credit
for money funding RAFB
when in reality this was
done by Saxby Chambliss
and Jack Kingston. Elow
much influence can you
have in Congress when you
are one notch above Cynthia
McKinney? Mac goes back
It’s Not About the Car...
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It’s about the precious cargo it carries.
As a local independent agent, we can design an insurance program
that's just right for you and your family. Give the people you love
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tence.
The school system has
received high marks nation
ally for technology - the
HCBOE being selected “sec
ond in the nation” for large
school systems using digi
tal technology. Additionally,
the Post 3 board member,
Gillis “Skip” Dawkins, has
been named vice-president
of the Georgia School Board,
a state-wide association.
Being a pace setter in tech
nology, the school system has
implemented an automated
emergency calling system,
which can notify 15,000 par
ents of important announce
ments within a matter of
minutes.
Further, $7 million dol
lars have been invested in
technology, including wire
less labs. The system pro
vides an enviable two-to-one
student -to-computer ratio,
fortified by 2,000 work sta
tions, Students are provided
email accounts and can take
courses on-line by computer
to make up classes and to
practice SAT and college
board testing.
Based on progress report
ed to date, it is evident that
the school system is keeping
pace with the county-wide
growth explosion - an 11
percent increase in student
enrollment over the past
four years, 22, 698 to 25,160
- while at the same time
maintaining excellence in
the classroom.
to Congress and picks up his
seniority right where he left
off; including 10 years of ser
vice on the powerful House
Ways and Means Committee.
In short, Mac Collins is a
real businessman who can
bring home the bacon for
this district.
No, this is not an issue of
sending someone to Congress
because you like them ... it
goes beyond the “likeabil
ity” factor. It is about our
businesses. It is about our
future.
It is about how you want
to live and in what kind of
world. Mac Collins is the
man I trust to represent me
on these issues.
Stephen Davison
President, Clean Control
Corporation
1110 Washington Street
Downtown Perry
987-8000
The toddler test
I have a suggestion.
Before an appliance is
put on the market, the
designer of said appliance
should go through a test.
The designer should be
put in a room with this
appliance and any other
he or she has designed.
Then a toddler, preferably
one between the ages of
18 months and two years
with an extremely inquisi
tive mind, should also be
placed in the room, with a
few chairs that are easy to
move and climb.
Then the designer is
assigned with one task and
one task only: use the appli
ance or appliances for the
household task intended,
while keeping the toddler
safe and out of trouble.
And while keeping the
appliances safe from the
toddler.
If the designer finds this
possible to do, then he or
she should approve the
appliance for sale.
If he or she finds this
almost impossible to do,
and a lesson in frustration,
then they should rethink
their design before ever
allowing the appliance to
hit the market.
This simple test - or les
son in futility as the case
may be - is a picture of my
life these days.
My younger son thinks
his purpose in life is to
turn every knob, open
and shut every door, push
every button and climb on
any chair he can find.
His latest attempt was
to pull the kitchen chair
over to the sink, climb
up on it, turn the fau
cet on full throttle, and
stand with the spray hose,
ready to give the kitchen
a bath.
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This in the space of time
it took me to walk from the
opposite end of the house to
the kitchen.
His plans were thwarted,
and he was safely returned
to the floor, where he took
off to devise some other
form of mayhem. He makes
his rounds rather efficient
ly: see if Mommy will let
him turn on the dishwash
er, then see if he is allowed
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Sherri Martin
The Front Porch
sion, just within his reach.
Then go and try to open
the dishwasher and climb
in. Then drag a chair and
try to press every button
on the microwave before
mommy notices.
If all that fails, go on to
less technical things such
as emptying the silverware
drawer or pulling all of the
books off the shelves.
My husband and I have
considered chaining the
chairs to the kitchen table,
or removing them all
together.
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER S, 2006 ♦
However, since we use
them on a regular basis,
this doesn’t seem to be the
answer.
Instead, I spend much of
my day removing him from
dangerous or simply non
helpful* situations, while
still trying to let him have
fun and explore.
Yes, appliance designers
should have to endure the
toddler test, then perhaps
they would come up with
some designs that would
help us moms keep a lit
tle portion of our sanity.
Those appliances specially
designed for homes with
curious children could even
be marketed as “TF” - tod
dler friendly. I predict that
sales would skyrocket.
This would be a market
niche they never imagined
- rather than soccer moms,
toddler moms desiring to
keep their cool and their
kitchens in order.
And while I’m making
suggestions, how about all
of you toy designers out
there?
Couldn’t someone please
come up with a toy that is
at least half as interesting
as the DVD player?
You’d make millions, I
promise.
You can con
tact Sherri martin at
TheFrontPorch@windstream.
net
to open
the oven
door and
climb in.
Then go
and mash
the but
tons con
veniently
located
on the
bottom of
the televi-
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5A